Carbureter.



No. 699,357. Patented May 6, I902. J. WILKINSON, E. F. CHAPMAN & H.THORNTON.

CARBURETER.

(Application filed Jan. 21, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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- UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH WILKINSON, 0F BUR'ION-IN-LONSDALE, AND EDWARD FORSTER CHAPMAN ANDHARRY THORNTON, OF LEEDS, ENGLAND.

CARBURETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,357, dated May 6,1902.

Application filed January 21, 1901. $erial No. 44,176. (No model.)

To all; whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH WILKINSON, of Glen Mill, Burton-in-Lonsdale,EDWARD FORSTER CHAPMAN, of 3 St. Pauls street, Leeds, and HARRYTHORNTON, of 103 Harehills Lane, Leeds, in the county of-York,England,subjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Carbureters, of which thefollowingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in carbureters employed forproducing the mixtures of vaporized oil and air for heating, lighting,and motor purposes described in the specification accompanying theapplication of the said Joseph Wilkinson for United States of AmericaLetters Patent, filed the 30th day of November, A. D. 1900, Serial No.38,277. V,

The objects of this invention are, first, to provide means for directingtheinflowing air into the carbureter, so as to come in contact at oncewith the vapors of mixed oils; second, to afford facilities formaintaining a constant and automatic supply of mixed oils to thecarbureter, thereby insuring the gas produced maintaining an even andregular illuminant, and, third, to prevent the mixed oils accumu latingand solidifying at the bottom of the carbureter. We attain these objects.by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a part-sectional elevation of' a plant for producingthe mixtures of vaporized oils and air; Fig. 2, an end elevation ofsame; Fig. 3, an enlarged section of the oil-tank fitted with anautomatic valve arrangement.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

a is the carbureter, consisting of a cylinder made of metal or otherconvenient material, and it is closed at both ends. The ends I) may beeither permanently fixed to its body portion by any convenientmeans-such as, say,.brazing or soldering or rivetingor they may be madedetachable and removable therefrom, in which case the body portion ofthe cylinder will require to be flanged to receive the ends, which maybe bolted thereto in such a manner to form a gas and oil tight joint.

In the drawings the cylinder a is shown with permanently-fixed ends I)and also with an internal strengthening-ring c. r The cylinder at has anumberof apertures arranged as follows: one above the center of one ofthe ends, which is fitted with a piped and a stop-cock e. This apertureis intended for the admission of air, as hereinafter described. On theinner surface of this end of the cylinder around the aperture is fixed aplate b for arresting the flow of air and cansing it to pass toward thebottom of the cylinder before passing through it. At the farther end ofthe cylinder and preferably at the top there is another similar pipefandstopcock 9, intended to carry off the mixture of vaporized oil and airformed in the cylinder. A piece of wire-gauze g may be inserted, if sodesired, in the pipef above the stop-cock g to prevent any liability ofthe gas flashing or firing back. A third opening may be put in anyconvenient place-such as, say, at the air-entrance end of the cylinder,above the airpipe at, or on the top of the cylinder, in any positionbetween the said end and the center of [the cylinder-say as shown by thedotted line h. This opening is provided with a pipe h and stop-cock t',which are employed for introducing fresh supplies of oil, as may berequired from time to time. When the pipe h is made to enter thecylinder, as shown by dotted lines h, then a platej (shown in dottedlines) is fixed within the cylinder at a suitable distance below thelast-named opening.

The said plate is in the form of a convex disk and of a larger size thanthe said opening. It is employed for preventing the oil flowing directlyinto the cylinder, and it is employed for distributingit over a largersurface. The

pipe h may also have a portion h of its length formed of glass forsighting or inspection purposes. A fourth opening is made in the base ofthe farther or exit end of thecylinder, provided with a pipe 1' andstop-cock 'r, the inner end of which is carried asuitable distancewithin the cylinder for the purposes to be presently described. A fifthopening is made in the air-admission end of the cylinder, immediatelyabove the air-pipe d, and pro vided with a pipe 8 and stop-cock If, soarranged that the pipe will discharge its contents against the plate I).

Inside the cylinder, and which maybe made somewhat closely to its walls,as at Fig. 2, is an arch is, composed of a layer of cotton-wool or othersuitable absorbent material of, say, about one-quarter of an inch inthickness, which is kept in position by wire-gauze Z, arranged on eachside thereof, as shown. The bottom of the arch 7c is made flat, as shownatm, Fig. 2, in which case what may be termed the feet of the arch aremade to stand or impinge upon the bottom portion of the cylinder.

In some cases instead of the bottom portion 'm of the arch beingflattened, as shown at Fig. 5, it may curve upward, as shown at n, Fig.2, so as to provide a greater surface for absorbent purposes. The spacey between the base of the arch and the inner periphery of the cylindervaries, according to circumstances, from, say, one inch in thickness atFig. 2, to, say, about three inches at the feet of the arch at Fig. 2,and it is filled in either case with cotton-wool or other absorbentmaterial, which also is made to wedge the arch in position. The objectof this arch 7c of absorbent material is that it shall by capillaryattraction absorb the oil at or near the bottom of the cylinder andpresentit in as large a surface as possible to the action of airtraveling through the cylinder..

It is preferred to close the arch at each end 19 with similar absorbentmaterial (thinner than for the arch) arranged between two laylers ofwire-gauze, the end at the air-entrance being suitably shaped to form apocket-like recess q for the plate Z) and pipes, as shown, the objectbeing that as the air is driven in and deflected downward it may firstpass through a thickness of cotton-wool soaked with oil, then travel inthe interior of the arch along the cylinder and through anotherthickness of cotton-wool before it can reach the space a above the arch7s, which is in communication with the pipe f and stop-cock g, thatcarries it away.

An air-fan o of any ordinary and open construction is employed forsupplying air to the cylinder through pipe (1. Motion is imparted to fani) from any suitable source of power by, say, for example, an electricmotor through pulleys and belting. (Not shown in the drawings.) Betweenthe air-fan o and stop-cock eis provided an air-collecting chamber 10 toinsure the air being delivered to the cylinder at or about a uniformpressure.

A pipe as, (of smaller diameter than pipe d, if so desired,) armed witha stop cock y, may be in some cases provided and arranged to communicateat one end with the pipe d between the stop-cock e and the fan 1; and atthe other end with the space a in the cy1in-. der a. above the arch 7cand at a suitable distance from the exit-pipefand stop-cock g. The pipe00 is employed as a by-pass for reducing the richness of the gas causedby an excess of vaporized oil within the cylinder when the flow of airceases.

A gage z is provided at one end of the cylinder a for showing the heightof the oil therein, and its bottom is in communication with the interiorof the cylinder. The cylinder a may be fixed in posit-ion by metal bands1, arranged to pass over it, as shown, and to be secured to a stand orfoundation by bolts or set-screws 2.

A sixth opening is provided at the top of the cylinder at and about thecenter of its length. This opening is provided with a pressure-pipe 4and stop-cock 5, which also communicate with the oil-tank to behereinafter described. The pipes h, 4, and r vary in diameter in theproportion of, say, one, two, and threethat is to say, 4 is twice aslarge as h and 4" three times as 71, while pipes 4 and 3 may be of thesame diameter.

The mixed hydrocarbon oils are placed in a closed tank 3 of any suitablesize and shape, arranged at a suitable distance above thecarbureting-cylinder a. The tank is provided with any aperture at thetop for the admission of the volatile hydrocarbon oils, through whichthe oil is poured. This aperture is shown in the drawings closed by ascrewed cap 6; but it will readily be understood that in place thereofthe aperture may, if so desired, be connected by a pipe or pipes withone or more oil-storage tanks. The upper end of pipe h is connected tothe bottom of tank 3, while the lower end of the said pipe is arrangedto deliver its contents into the space it within the cylinder at abovethe arch 7c. The lower end of the pressure-pipe 4 also communicates withthe said space a, whil'e the upper end of the said pipe is made to enterthe tank 3 near its top and pass a suitable distance within it, asshown. The tank is filled with the oil up to or about, say, the levelshown by the dotted lines 7.

On the top of the tank 3 is fixed a small closed tank or vessel 8, alsoof any suitable size and shape. The two tanks are arranged tocommunicate with each other by the short pipe 9, which is closed byvalve 10. The upper ends of pipes 1' and s are arranged to communicatewith the top of the tank 8 and to pass a suitable distance therein, asshown. The end of pipe 8 is closed by a valve 11. The valves 10 and 11may be made in any suitable and convenient shape and of any lightmaterial, such as, say, cork or wood. The valves are arranged over eachother and to be connected together by a vertical rod 12 of light metal,such as aluminium, or of wood, arranged to work in the bearings formedin the horizontal bearers 13 and 14.

The length of the rod 12 is such that when valve 10 is closing pipe 9valve 11 will have been drawn away from its seat and the end of pipe 3opened to the interior of tank 8, or vice versa. The distance betweenthe two valves requires to be such that neither of them will bewithdrawn from their seats by any suction-like action that mayoccurwithin the tank 8, thus insuring their withdrawal only beingeffected by the weight or action of the float. In order to automaticallyoperate the valves 10 and 11, a float 15, formed, say, of cork or othersuitable material, is mounted so as to slide freely upon the rod 12,between the bearers 13 and 14. The movement of the float 15 may beadjusted by means of the movable stops 16 and 17, that are mounted uponthe rod 12 and fixed in position by any convenient means, such as, say,set-screws. The float is allowed a certain amount of free movementbetween the adjustable stops. The normal position of the valves is forvalve 10 to be kept closed by the weight of the rod 12, float 15, andadjustable stops 16 and 17.

The only entrance for oil to the interior of tank 8 is through pipe *1.

In some cases the pipe 3 may not be connected to the cylinder a, asshown in the drawings at Fig. 1, but simply be as shown at Fig. 3 and beused for allowing any excess pressure in the tank 8 to escape into theair. The smaller tank 8 and pipes r and 5 may be also dispensed withwhen an automatic supply is not required.

The apparatus may be used for benzolin, paraffin, or any otherrefractory hydrocarbon oil; but the volatile hydrocarbons we preferemploying are benzoline of about 0.650 to 0.680 (the flash-point ofwhich is very low, being almost ordinary temperature of about 141Fahrenheit) specific gravity and para'finoil-say, American tea-rose oilwhich has a specific gravity about 0.797. (Flash-point about 83Fahrenheit or 2S.3 centigrade.) These volatile hydrocarbons are mixedtogetherin substantially the following proportions-namely, benzolin,seventy five per cent.; paraffinoil, twenty -five per cent. These may beeither poured separately or already mixed through the aperture providedtherefor into the tank 3 and from thence through pipe 7L into thecylinder a until it is partially filled with oil up to, say, about thelevel of lines 18 19, Fig. 1,- and the ab sorbent material in thecylinder at and of the arch it become saturated therewith, and bycapillary attraction the oil at the bottom of the cylinder is conductedto the crown of the arch as well as all around it, thus providin g,as itwere, an inner cylinder,the perimeter of which is saturated with oil.Thestop-cock f is then closed and the tank 3 filled with oil up to, say,the level shown by dotted line 7. After this has been done and thescrewed cap 6 placed in position air is driven by the fan o into thecylinder, as described, through pipe d at a pressure of approximatelyhalf an inch of water. The mixture of vaporized oil and air will afterafew moments commence to flow from the pipe fat the opposite end of thecylinder to that at which the air enters. The air at first is driventhrough the end of the cylinder and also through the saturated end 11 ofthe arch 7r into its interiorthat is, the

central space JO-and then travels to the opposite end of cylinder, whenit is made to pass through another thickness of the absorbentmaterialforming the arch into space a before it reaches and escapes fromthe cylinder by pipe f. The air during its passage through the cylinderat and arch thus becomes mixed with the vaporized oil. By this means aselfburning mixture, as hereinbefore'described, can be readily obtainedby regulating the stop'cocks e andf at each end of the cylinder asrequired. When the pressure in the cylinder aof the carburetor hasbecome so great that the oil will not readily flow down the pipe h, thenby opening valve 5 pressure from the cylinder may by the larger diameterof pipe 4 be carried into the tank 3 above the level of the oil thereinand utilized for acting thereon, thus when this pressure is added to thehead of oil in the tank overcoming the pressure in the smaller pipe hand obtaining the f required flow of oil to the cylinder. On thepressure in the cylinder at becoming so great provision is made for oilat its bottom to be forced up the pipe 1" (the inner end of which isplaced below the arch k or as near the bottom of the cylinder aspossible) into the tank 8, the valve 10 therein then being closed andescape valve 11 open. When sufficient oil has been carried intothe tank8 to raise the float 15 and lift the rod 12, thereby withdrawing thevalve 10 from its seat and closing pipe 3 by forcing valve 11 againstitsseat, the oil in tank 8 will pass through pipe 9 (owing to pipe 1' beinglarger in diameter to pipe 4) into tank 3 until the float in its descentcomes in contact with the stop 17 and closes valve 10. Should thepressure in the tank 8 during the time the valve 11 is closed become atany time equivalent to or of greater superficial pressure in tank 8 thanthat in the pipe 1' by, say, gas (vaporized oil and air) being conveyedthereto instead of oil, then the float 15 by such pressure will beforced downward, carrying with it the rod 12, closing valve 10, openingvalve 11, and allowing the gas to escape through pipe .9 into thecylinder to with the inflowin g air through pocket-like recess 1 or intothe outer air. By this means the hydrocarbon oil is prevented collectingin sufficient quantities to congeal, and at the same time the quantityremoved does not prevent the arch 7c performing its function efficientlyof raising by capillary attraction the oil for vaporizing and mixingpurposes.

From experiments that have been made with a cylinder two feet long andtwelve inches in diameter, into which benzolin and paraffin have beenpoured in the above proportions, and with an open fan, say, sixteeninches in diameter and caused to revolve, say, at twelve hundredrevolutions per minute and provided with an outlet-pipe one inch indiameter, which is connected to theend of the cylinder, it has beenfound that the flow of air to the cylinder was at the rate of about onethousand feet per minute, and after being driven into and through thearch k in the manner herein described the flow of vaporized oil and airthrough pipe fwas at the rate of two hundred'and fifty feet per'minute.

In order additionally to prevent any liability of the hydrocarbonsbecoming solid or frozen by the air passing through the cylinder a, ajet 21 of gas may be arranged under the pipe 01 or stop-cock e toslightly warm the inflowing air prior to entering the cylinder. The saidjet may be supplied with gas from the pipe j'by means of suitable pipingarmed with a stop-cock or from any other suitable source.

A self-burning mixture of vaporized oil and air produced as hereindescribed may be used for incandescent lighting, for gassing silk andother fibers, for motors, and for heating purposes with great advantageand without danger of explosion so long as the Whole mixture is causedto travel at a greater speed than the speed of propagation of flame,which maybe done bymaintaining a sufficient pressure of air in thecylinder a.

When the herein-described gas is employed for motors, it is deliveredfrom, say, pipe f of the cylinder 01, to the cylinder of the engine, inwhich it is exploded, and being alreadysupplied with required admixturesofair from the generating-cylinder thus dispenses with the necessity ofmixing the charge in the cylinder of the engine, as when coal-gas andair are employed.

When the cylinder at is attached to a gasengine, the fan -v may in somecases and if so desired be dispensed with and the air drawn into andthrough the cylinder at by suction caused by the outward stroke of thepiston of the gas-engine. The entrance for the air would under suchcircumstances be through pipe at and stop-cock c.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. In apparatus for producing mixtures of vaporized oil and air, acarbureter consisting of acylinder provided with closed ends andapertures for admission of air and of oil, and for the exit of thegaseous mixture as described, a deflecting-plate fixed to the interiorof the air-admission end of said cylinder, an arch constructed asdescribed and composed of absorbent material arranged between layers ofgauze, and provided with end pieces similarly constructed, said archbeing made to fit portions of the interior of said cylinder, and atother portions to leave spaces for the oil and gas, the air-admissionpipe provided with an air-collecting chamber in communication with oneend of the cylinder an exit-pipe at the opposite end of the cylinder andin com munication with the gas-space, an oil-supply pipe at a suitabledistance from the air-admission end of the cylinder, and anoil-distributing plate fixed to the interior of the cylinder under thesaid oil-pipe, all combined as set forth.

2. In apparatus for producing mixtures of vaporized oil and air, acarbureter consistposed of absorbent material arranged between layers ofgauze, and provided with end pieces similarly constructed, said archbeing made to fit portions of the interior of said cylinder, and atother portions to leave spaces for the oil and gas, the air-admissionpipe provided with an air-collecting chamber in communication with oneend of the cylinder, an exit-pipe at the opposite end of the cylinderand in communication with the gas-space, an oil-supply pipe at asuitable distance from the air-admission end of the cylinder, anoildistributing plate fixed to the interior of the cylinder under thesaid oil-pipe, a fan for causing a current of air to pass through thecarbnreter, a gas-jet for heating the air as it passes to thecarbureter, tanks for receiving and mixing the oils, and pipes providedwith valves for connecting the tanks with each other and with thecarbureter, all in combination and substantially as described andillustrated herein.

3. In apparatus for producing mixtures of vaporized oil and air thecombination with a carburetor of a closed oil-supply tank placed abovethe carbureter and provided with an oil-admission aperture, a pipeprovided with a stop-cock connecting the bottom of said tank withgas-space in said carbureter, a pressurepipe for connecting the saidgas-space with the top of said tank, a smaller closed tank fixed to thetop of the oil-supply tank, apipe connecting the two tanks together,valves as described within the smaller tank and connected together by arod, bearers for supporting said rod in position and pipes provided withstop-cocks for connecting the top of the smaller tank respectively withsaid gas-space, and with the base of the carbureter at its gasexit end,all as set forth.

4. In apparatus for producing mixtures of vaporized oil and air, acarbureter consisting of a cylinder provided with closed ends andapertures as described,a deflecting-plate fixed to the interior of theair-admission end of said cylinder,an arch constructed as described andcomposed of absorbent material arranged between layers of gauze, andprovided with end pieces similarly constructed, said arch being made tofit portions of the interior of said cylinder, and at other portions toleave spaces for the oil and gas, the air-admission pipe provided withan air-collecting chamber in communication with one end of the cylinder,an exit-pipe at the opposite end of the cylinder and in communicationwith the gas-space, an oil-supply pipe at a suitable distance from theair-admission end of the cylinder, an oil-distributing plate fixed tothe interior of the cylinder under the said oil-pipe, a closedoil-supply tank placed above the oarbureter and provided with anoil-admission aperture, a pipe provided with a stop-cock connecting thebottom of said tank with gas-space in said carbureter and apressure-pipe for connecting the said gas-space with the top of saidtank, substantially as set forth. 7

5. In apparatus for producing mixtures of vaporized oil and air, acarbureter consisting of a cylinder provided with closed ends andapertures foradmission of air and of oil, and for the exit of thegaseous mixture as described, a deflecting-plate fixed to the interiorof the air-admission end of said cylinder, an arch constructed asdescribed and composed of absorbent material arranged between layers ofgauze, and provided with end pieces similarly constructed, said archbeing made to fit portions of the interior of said cylinder, and atother portions to leave spaces for the oil and gas, the air-admissionpipe provided with an air-collecting chamber-in communication with oneend of the cylinder, an exit-pipe at the opposite end of cylinder and incommunication with the gas-space, an oilsupply pipe at a suitabledistance from the air-admission end of the cylinder, an oil-distributingplate fixed to the interior of the cylinder under the said oil-pipe, aclosed oil-supply tank placed above the carbureter and provided with anoil-admission aperture, a pipe provided with a stop-cock connecting thebottom of said tank with gas-space in said carbureter, a pressure-pipefor connecting the said gas-space with the top of said tank, a smallerclosed tank fixed to the top of the oilsupply tank a pipe connecting thetwo tanks together, valves as described within the smaller tank andconnected together by a rod, bearers for supporting said rod in positionand pipes provided with stop-cocks for connecting the top of the smallertank respectively with said gas-space, and with the base of thecarbureter at its gas-exit end, all as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH XVILKINSON. EDWARD FORSTER CHAPMAN. HARRY THORNTON.

Witnesses: I

JOHN METCALFE, RICHARD MATHER DEIGHTON.

